A three-storey structure with four suspended floors under construction behind the Anambra State House of Assembly, off Ekwueme Square, Okpuno Awka, came crashing down on Thursday morning.
The building, which had reached the roofing stage, reportedly caved in at about 11:40 am, sparking panic in the area as several construction workers and other occupants were feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Eyewitnesses said the structure fell suddenly without any warning. The actual number of people trapped was yet to be determined as of press time.
Officials from the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the state’s materials testing department were on-site to begin investigations into the incident.
Observers at the scene noted that passers-by attempted rescue operations, though efforts were hindered by a lack of heavy-duty equipment, including excavators.
One eyewitness recounted, “The building collapsed this morning(Thursday) as some artisans were carrying out some construction works at the roof of the structure. The building made some noise as it was collapsing while some construction workers were at the site. No one can say the cause of the collapse for now, but some government officials arrived at the scene shortly after, but rescue efforts have not begun, as they said they were waiting for excavators to arrive.”
Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of COREN-ERM in Anambra State, Sir Victor Meju, said, **“It was a five-storey building, the sixth floor still under construction at its roofing stage. It is a private building. It was gathered that the structure was roofed last Thursday.
“On-site preliminary investigation revealed that it was a vertically complete collapse to the rubble. On-site preliminary investigation also revealed that the collapse occurred as a result of a poor concrete mixture and a likely foundation problem.
“The relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of Housing and the Awka Capital Territory Development Association, have been notified, and they are on the ground to monitor and offer rescue operations.”
When contacted, Anambra Police Command spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he had not been briefed but promised to make enquiries.
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